schadenfreude
See also: Schadenfreude
English
WOTD – 11 August 2008
Etymology
Borrowed from German Schadenfreude (“joy in the misfortune of others”), from Schaden (“damage, misfortune”) + Freude (“joy”). The word gained popularity in English in the late 20th c.[1] and likely entered mainstream usage through an episode of The Simpsons[2] (more in citations).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈʃɑːdənfɹɔɪdə/ enPR: SHäʹdənfroidə
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɔɪdə
Noun
schadenfreude (uncountable)
- Malicious enjoyment derived from observing someone else's misfortune.
- 1897, Arthur Schopenhauer, Thomas Bailey Saunders (translator), "Human Nature", The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer,
- But it is Schadenfreude, a mischievous delight in the misfortunes of others, which remains the worst trait in human nature.
- 1897, Arthur Schopenhauer, Thomas Bailey Saunders (translator), "Human Nature", The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer,
Quotations
- For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:schadenfreude.
Synonyms
- epicaricacy (rare)
Derived terms
Translations
malicious enjoyment derived from observing someone else's misfortune
|
|
References
Further reading
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.